The End of Ashitaka
by blackmage242
Summary: Ashitaka gets poisoned when defending Iron town from stray gunfighters. The only andidote is found by the village where Ashitaka grew up. With San's help Ashitaka goes to find it. Changed rating to T just to be safe.
1. What is wrong with me?

It had been a few weeks since Ashitaka went to help rebuild Iron town. He hadn't visited San or tried to contact her in any way. She was upset and thought he had forgotten her or something. Her sister and brother, who are wolves, knew how she felt despite how hard she tried to hide them.

"You know I could always go over there and crunch his face off." Kitha, the eldest twin said after another silent supper.

"That's all right," Son said remembering the night she first met Ashykoto and he had said the same thing.

"He's probably busy with the re-building and hasn't had time," said Kana, the youngest twin, trying to cheer her up.

"You're probably right. I just miss him that's all." She said.

"If you miss him that badly you should probably go visit him," Kitha said

"Yeah we should. You haven't been out in ages and it's driving us crazy," Kana said

"Okay, do you think they'll try to kill us?" she asked

"Why would they try to kill us? It's not like we're trying to kill their "lady"." Kana said

"Let's go." Said Kitha as he got up and Son jumped on his back.

The two wolves were happy and playful after being in their small home trying to cheer San up. The cool evening air felt good as they ran from their home to where Iron town was being re-built. They couldn't help chasing each other around. They jumped up the waterfall or scared the ape tribe, who were taking care of the trees they had planted since arriving. As they came closer a feeling of dread washed over San. Something wasn't right and she couldn't understand what it was. Her brother feeling her tense stopped, her sister seeing her brother stop came to a halt beside him.

"What's wrong?" they asked in unison

"I don't know. For some reason I feel as though something is wrong, but I don't know what." She said

"Could it be that you're nervous at seeing Ashitaka again?" Kitha teased.

"No way," San replied hastily her face burning.

"Kana look, San is for once embarrassed." Kitha said to Kana

"I am not." San said swatting her brother on the head playfully.

"For that you're going to have to run there yourself." Kitha said bucking her off and running away with Kana laughing historically.

"Come on guys. Get back here." San finally managed to say through the laughing fit.

If felt good to laugh. The last few weeks had been hard on all of them. The ape tribe had finally come back and started planting trees. San and her clan, (It was weird calling it her clan. It had been awhile since Morro died. It had taken her and the twins days to get over their mother's death, but things had to get done.) had helped to plant and protect the forest from the ever coming humans. The forest was finally starting to look like the old one. _But it'll never be the same. The forest spirit will never take a new form, but I guess it's for the best_. San thought to herself as her brother and sister came in sight. They had realized that she wasn't going to chase them so they came back acting like they were being neglected.

"Come on we have to hurry or it will be too late to visit him. " San said chuckling as her brother bent down for her to climb on. He had grown since that time and was as tall as San. Kana was just starting to reach San's shoulders.

"It's good to hear you laughing again. It's been a rough few weeks, but the worst is over. Hopefully." Kitha said

"Why do you always have to be so pessimistic? All right we're going." Kana said as she felt the impatient stare of her younger sister. They ran in the direction of Iron town spirits high only to here the sound of gun shots and smell the stench of smoke.

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**This is my first story. How'd I do? Do you like it?**


	2. Why me?

**Sorry it took so long to update. Things have been busyaround here lately. Enjoy the next chapter.**

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Ashitaka looked up at the forest across the lake. It had grown beautifully the last few weeks after the forest spirit disaster. Ashitaka turned away and sighed. There was still too much work to do before he could leave. He missed San terribly and as the days turned to weeks he went further and further into himself. He hardly ever talked and the only thing that kept his mind off her was work.

Iron town was beginning to look like a town again. When they first began building, the ape tribe caused a riot until an agreement had been reached. The people of Iron Town were allowed a space in which they could clear the land and use the trees, but they had to plant new trees where they had cut down if they were in a space outside of the town. Lady Eboshi and the ape tribe were now trying to come up with a way to take the ore from the mountain without cutting down the forests around the mountain and destroying the environment.

The evening air was filled with the sounds of workers going home for the night, and children being called home for supper. The air was filled with merriment and laughter from families and loved ones, but for Ashitaka it was more than he could bear. He wanted to leave, but for some reason every time he decided to leave something happened. The first time he tried to leave a roof caved in and the men on the roof were badly hurt and they couldn't work, so Ashitaka had to stay and help them. The second time a fire started, and almost half of the buildings they re-built were burned down. They were now behind schedule and shorthanded, so he couldn't leave now.

Ashitaka sighed, put away his tools, and started home. Every day he was the last to leave and the first to arrive. He lived on the edge of town in a small lean-to, enjoying his closeness to nature. He didn't really mind the chill of the night; it helped him keep his mind from thinking of San and her wolf family.

As he passed through the town he saw families eating together, playing board games and fighting; but all of them belonged together. Some of these people had lived in the town their whole lives, while he had only come around a month ago, and had only stayed a night. At these times, he couldn't help but feel like an outsider who didn't belong and felt he should leave as soon as possible. In one of the houses, he saw his friend Kohroku and his wife Toki in another argument over something. Since they hadn't built the building where the iron was made, the women and the men lived together until it was built.

He paused for a second to watch, and felt something behind him, like something was coming, something evil. But as soon as he felt it, it disappeared. He dismissed it, using hunger and exhaustion as an excuse. He had gotten up before the sun rose to go on a walk and clear his mind of the nightmares that had been haunting him since after the forest spirit incident. He had then gone to where they were working for the day, and didn't stop for a break until the sun had completely set in the sky.

He finally reached home, and couldn't wait to go in eat and finally get some sleep. Standing close by was his faithful red elk Yakuul. He then remembered he needed to take Yakuul out or he'd get out of shape and restless. One time, when Ashitaka was younger, he had gotten hurt (which wasn't very rare because of his many forest adventures). He couldn't leave the house for weeks. By the time his parents told him he could ride Yakuul again, Yakuul was so excited to go out that he ran at breakneck speed on one of the most dangerous trails in the forest. That had been the last time Ashitaka had gone that long without going on trail rides with Yakuul.

"I'm home," he said patting Yakuul, "I know. I'll take you out for a run after supper," as Yakuul nudged him impatient to leave for a nice run and have his supper.

Ashitaka started getting ready for supper when the feeling came back, only this time it was stronger, like something was moving toward their town and quickly. It had caught him unawares, even after years of honing his talent, and he dropped the dish he had been holding. The sound brought him back from his reverie and bought him a questioning look from Yakuul.

"I'm alright. I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing," he tried to reassure his old friend.

Talking to his elk was like talking to a really close friend. Even though Yakuul couldn't understand what Ashitaka was saying, it felt as though he understood what he was feeling. For weeks now Yahkuul had been worried about him, and he couldn't tell the elk what was bothering him as he didn't know himself.

Ashitaka started picking up the dish pieces and sighed again, he couldn't suppress the feeling any longer. Now he was certain that something was coming and whatever it was, it wasn't friendly. He couldn't tell what it meant and knew that whatever it was, he'd never come across it before. He was slightly relieved, but at the same time, scared. He was relieved because that meant that his friend Jigo wasn't behind the attack. It frightened him because he knew that he hadn't met the worst of the creatures that lived on the western plains of his ancestors' homeland. He knew that he should tell Lady Eboshi, but he didn't want to create a panic if there was no need for one. He decided to wait for the next sign before telling Lady Eboshi. He knew signs like this shouldn't be ignored and were never wrong; but he was tired and hungry and if anything came this way the scouts would see it first and report back before it reached Iron town.

Ashitaka woke from a sound sleep when the next warning came and he knew that he couldn't wait any longer. He could almost figure out what was coming. He knew it was big and moved quickly for its size. He also knew it was coming this way. He dressed quickly, found his weapons and saddled Yakuul. Mounted on Yakuul he went to find Lady Eboshi.

He found Lady Eboshi outside her house talking with one of the scouts. As he drew nearer he recognized the man. He along with Kohroku were rescued by Ashitaka when he had first come upon Iron-town.

"Excuse me, Lady Eboshi. I need to talk to you," Ashitaka said, dismounting as soon as he was near enough for them to hear him.

"Can it wait? I'm busy," Lady Eboshisaid. The man was clearly startled. The only time Ashitaka talked or interrupted a conversation it usually meant that something was going to happen.

"No it can't," Ashitaka said clearly startled.

"What do you want?" Lady Eboshi said waving the man away.

"There's something coming. I'm not sure how far away it is, but it's traveling towards us and it could be here tonight," Ashitaka said quickly knowing that in the mood she was in, she would loose interest fast.

"Are you sure?" Lady Eboshi asked

"Positive," Ashitaka said

"What do you suppose we do?" she asked Ashitaka

"Well we should bring everyone inside the walls including the scouts and put up archers around the boarder. But you already know that and you know that something is coming. How do you know?" Ashitaka said unnerved by her stale humor.

"The scout that I was just talking to informed me of the attack. I want you out on the back wall."

"Wouldn't they attack from the mountain pass?"

"That is where the real battle will begin. A few of their soldiers will come from the mountain pass to draw our attention away from the others that will sneak in around back. Tell everyone you see to get to their posts and get the children into the underground exit. If anything should happen they'll at least be able to escape."

He knew instantly that something wasn't right. Normally Lady Eboshi would wait until she could figure out how strong their enemy was before sending the children into the safe zone. He couldn't help, but wonder if she was hiding something from him.

He could hear the slight rustling noise of the gunmen getting into their positions as he rode to his. Even with his trained ears it was hard to separate the sounds of the gunmen's feet to the leaves rustling in the wind. There would be no alarm this time lest the enemy heard them and figured out they had been spotted. Everyone was tense waiting for the first sign of battle. For once there was silence in the village; even the younger children were quiet and in the forest. That's what alarmed him the most because the forest was never quiet; there was always noise, the only time it was quiet was when unwanted was in the forest creatures midst.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw something move. He turned to see what it was, but whatever it was had moved. He could hear people shifting in their positions getting tired of waiting and losing focus. Briefly Ashitaka thought this would be the perfect time for an attack. The sentries were falling asleep and wouldn't be quick to attack. Then all hell broke lose.

The wall next to Ashitaka exploded. Wooden splinters flew everywhere. A few hit Ashitaka, but he didn't feel them. He could hear the screams of the fallen men echoing in his mind, but he paid them no heed. For filing out of the woods were hundreds of riflemen. The people of Iron town had heard the explosion and were coming over to help defend the weak spot. They were able to hold them back for awhile before the riflemen ran back into the forest to regroup. The people of Iron town decided to defend the entrance of the tunnel to secure a safe passage for the children from Iron town to safety since their wall had been destroyed. The townsmen that couldn't fight led the children to safety while those that could fight stayed behind to defend the entrance and hopefully allow the children safe passage. Ashitaka, at the front of the guard hadn't had time to find out who had stayed behind before the next attack came. He shot his arrows with perfect accuracy at lightning speed. Around him he could hear the guns. He had refused to learn how to use one because it seemed to him that as soon as someone learned how to use one it changed them. He had run out of arrows and knew that the gunmen ran out of ammunition because they had ceased firing. There was silence and then all the riflemen charged, swords drawn. Ashitaka was prepared and was ready when they came, but he was tired and he didn't know how much longer he could fight. Then he felt a prick in his neck and everything became bleary. The person he was fighting figured out something wasn't right and attacked again and hit flesh. Ashitaka felt like he was on fire. IT started from his side and slowly washed over the rest of his body. Darkness was closeting in around him, but before it completely surrounded him he saw San and her wolves coming towards him. And then he fell into oblivion.

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**What do you think? Do you like? I need to know before I can update the next chapter. Please review.**


	3. This can't be good

**Warning: This chapter is a little more violent then my other chapters. That is why I changed the rating.**

At hearing the gun shots, the wolves had started running at breakneck speeds to the path that led to Iron town. They were still a long way away and San couldn't help worrying about Ashitaka. From past experience she knew that he was somehow involved.

San couldn't and didn't want to think as they raced down the path towards Iron Town. The trees were a blur as they raced past. Animals scurried out of the way, calling warnings to creatures further up the path to get out of the way, the wolves were on the run. Apes, angry at being disrupted from their work, threw rocks and sticks in the wolves' path, trying to trip them or knock San off her seat on top of Kitha. Kana, who could run faster than Kitha when he had San on his back, tried to chase the apes away before they could attack him, because he lost his temper easily. Especially when the apes disrespected them and right now that wouldn't help San. Kana's worrying was all for naught because for once, Kitha ignored the apes and kept running towards Iron Town for San's sake. Kana was impressed, though if she could hear what he was thinking as he ran past the apes, she'd probably shake her head in amusement. _I'll teach them a lesson after we save Ashitaka_ _again_, Kitha thought to himself after seeing how impressed Kana was. San was too worried to pay the apes any attention. She couldn't think past the feeling of despair that she felt in her gut.

After what seemed like an eternity later they reached the edge of the forest. There was a meadow then a lake and then Iron Town. Across the lake, they could see the remains of the once great fortress. To her despair, she saw the newly built buildings were all on fire and the gunfire was still far away. Kana couldn't figure out what was wrong, she only knew that something was missing.

"Kitha do you hear the children?" Kana asked once she realized what was missing.

"No, I don't," Kitha said after he paused to listen.

"I wonder where they are," Kana pondered to herself.

"What does it matter? They're only filthy humans," San said putting up her emotional walls that had been created after her adoptive mother told her about her parents.

The twins looked at her shocked. She hadn't sounded this defensive since after Ashitaka broke down the some of these walls weeks before.

"We should get going, they may need our help," Kitha said, the first to break the awkward silence.

After figuring out that the only way to cross the lake was to swim across it, the twins unhappily started across. The twins were surprised to realize the lake wasn't polluted even though a fortress lay on the bank next to it. The water was clear and cool. If they hadn't been in such a hurry the twins would have stayed there all night, but they could still hear gunshots somewhere near by. The wolves ran up the banks of the lake not wasting time to shake off the water from their coats. They had reached the edge of town when the gun shots stopped. San thought that she should feel relieved, but the ruins of the newly built town dashed away any hope that the fighting had stopped.

From the other side of town a figure obscured by the smoke and the dancing shadows of the dying fire headed towards them. They stopped ready to fight if the thing attacked them. As it got closer the twins and San started laughing at themselves for being so paranoid for out of the shadows there stood Yakuul. They automatically thought the worst. San let out a small cry of despair. Yakuul never left his master's side even when they all thought Ashitaka had died, Yakuul had stayed with him. Yakuul was agitated and kept stomping his front hoof.

"I think he wants us to follow him," said Kana realizing San was too distressed to talk to the animal.

"We might as well go and see what he wants to show us," said Kitha.

They followed Yakuul into the forest on the other side of the town. The creepy town felt as though it was closing in on the travelers as they passed by. This didn't help the nerves of San and she kept jumping at the slightest noise. If it hadn't been for Yakuul's help they would have meandered through the village thinking that everyone was dead, and San was not really in the mood to fight off any hostile humans. Thankfully Yakuul kept them moving. When they reached the edge of a small clearing, they saw that the battle still raged and Yakuul had only left to find help. The villagers were greatly outnumbered and most of them looked like they hadn't fought in hand to hand combat in years. San looked over the crowd looking for Ashitaka. He wasn't hard to spot. He fought like ten men. Then she saw him get distracted and in disbelief as he was struck down. She didn't hear herself scream, nor did she realize that she had given the wolves a signal to enter the battle. All she could think of and see was Ashitaka falling to the ground, blood soaking his shirt. All she saw was red, and she started to fight like a demon with no mercy or thought. She became a killing machine. The riflemen didn't want to cross the path of gods and a crazed human ran away. The twins realized something wasn't right with her and left the clearing. They stayed close, though, in case the riflemen came back.

"What do you think you are you doing! Get out of my way!" San cried.

"Not until you calm down," Kitha said as he and his sister kept San from leaving the cover of the trees.

"I'll kill them all! Let me go!" San screamed when Kitha grabbed her in his jaws after she had attacked him.

"You can't help anyone, especially Ashitaka like this," Kana said, bewildered, she had never seen San like this, and she didn't like it.

At hearing Ashitaka's name, she stopped trying to get out of her brother's jaws and started to cry. Kitha dropped her gently on the ground and both he and his sister sat next to San giving her the comfort of knowing they were there. After awhile her cries became less hysteric and wild. Though she was still crying she had finally calmed down.

"Let's go and see if they need help getting the wounded back to the village," Kana said careful not to mention Ashitaka.

Yakuul who had seen his friend cut down and seen San go wild, stayed where he was, not sure what to do. He wanted to make sure San was okay because he knew Ashitaka would want him to, but he didn't want to leave Ashitaka. Yakuul could hear the desperate cries of San that gradually turned into soft sobs. He was still undecided when the wolves came out of the cover of the trees.

"It's alright Yakuul come with us," cooed Kana after seeing the confusion of the elk.

Haltingly Yakuul followed the wolves and the girl that smelt like one, but didn't look like one. Her shoulders stooped like they were carrying a heavy burden. Her eyes, which once were bright and alive, dulled. Her once energetic nature was now gone and replaced by an overwhelming sadness that Yakuul would never understand.

Kana was worried. She had never seen her sister act this way. For once she didn't say things under her breathe about how sickening the smell of humans was. She just sat there without noticing what was going on around her. San was completely surrounded by her own grief.

"Do you humans need any help?" Kana heard her brother ask Eboshi

"You guys can talk?" the startled man next to Eboshi replied.

"Of course we can talk. Are you all this-"

"Kitha stop," Kana said cutting him off. To Eboshi she said "Do you need us for anything?"

"Well if one of you could go find and bring back the children and the rest of the villagers while one of you stayed helped look for a shelter we'd be grateful," replied Eboshi.

"Kitha and San will go look for the other villagers while I look for your shelter," Kana replied. She could hear Kitha grumbling about always having to do the boring work.

San was in a haze. She had stopped crying, but now she was drowning in her own sadness. She was having trouble breathing and it was all she could do to stay concious. She didn't recognize anything. She could only see shapes and colors. She could hear noises, but nothing made sense to her. She could hear people talking far away, but she didn't know what direction they were in. And even if she did she didn't think she'd be able to get up and walk. Her limbs felt like they were made of lead. She wanted to fall asleep, but something in the back of her mind wouldn't let her. She didn't know how much longer she'd be able to hold on when the screams of children reached her ears.

**So, what did you think? Should I stop here? Reply to help me decide.**


	4. San's depression

**Sorry for the wait, but school, family and sports take up a lot of time. Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Warning: May contain violence.**

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San jolted out of her depression as the cries continued. Without any urging from San, Kitha sped up. San still felt as though she were in a dream; she was detached from the world around her, but the screams had touched something in her, her head starting to clear up. Kitha noticed the slight change and hoped that she was up for the fight ahead.

As they neared the source of the sound they ran into a clearing. There, the rogue riflemen were chasing the villager women and their children through the woods. Just one look at them and San, with Ashitaka's final moments playing over and over in front of her eyes, let out a fierce cry, jumped off of Kitha's back, and raced toward them, spear raised. Kitha, baring his teeth, followed behind her.

Kana was running through the forest looking for a cave that she knew was close by. The trees sped past in a blur-just streaks of greens, browns, and splotches of black. She knew she shouldn't be, but she was glad that she wasn't strong enough to carry San on her back for long hours at a time. She suppressed a shiver as she remembered the empty, blank look of San's eyes. It was unnerving. Kana didn't want to think what would happen to San if Ashitaka died. Suppressing these thoughts, Kana concentrated on her task. It wasn't long before she found what she was looking for. After she searched and found no signs of dangerous squatters, she turned around and ran back the way she came. It didn't take long for her to return, but, by the time she arrived, the sun had already set. Reaching the clearing, she saw the townsmen bandaging the wounded and burying the dead. All around her was the smell of blood and death. From behind her, Yakuul came out of the forest. The healers had shooed him away from Ashitaka, so, with nothing else to do, Yakuul followed Kana when she ran off looking for shelter. He quickly found where Ashitaka was and walked slowly over so as not to concern the townsmen. Kana let out a sigh of relief, grateful that he was alive. She didn't want to think what San would do if he really had died.

"Have you found anywhere we can stay for the night?" asked a familiar strict voice from behind her.

"Yes, Eboshi, I have found a safe place where you can rest and recuperate," said Kana, not fazed by Eboshi's intuition which allowed her to sense a person before seeing him, " Do you need help carrying the wounded? Yakuul can carry Ashitaka. He won't let him fall."

"The healers won't like that," Eboshi mumbled "He's in bad condition. They don't know if he'll live the night."

"In that case, I insist that Yakuul or I carry him to the shelter. We are both fast and the ride won't jostle him as much as if he was carried in a stretcher, " Kana spoke softly, but with authority.

Eboshi, startled, stepped back a little-for once in her life she understood the wolf gods' power, and she was afraid.

"I'm sure it won't be a problem," was all she could manage before she turned to leave, attempting to hide her need to flee.

Kana heard a soft noise, too soft for human ears. She turned to find Yakuul staring after Eboshi with a weird expression on his face. If she didn't know better, she would have sworn he was laughing at the retreating woman. A call went out, warning everyone to start getting ready to leave. It was decided that Ashitaka and three other wounded men would be carried by Kana in the back of the procession, with Eboshi walking in front of them, and Yakuul would carry two others on his back to the shelter. It was a long and grueling walk-everyone was tense, waiting for a surprise attack from the remaining riflemen-but they found the cave without any major incidents. It was nearly midnight when they reached the cave. On one side of the cave there was a dense forest, too dense for anyone to travel quickly through it, and on the other side there was a cliff with a steep drop. There was only one way of getting to the cave, and that was the way they had come, and it was easily defended and hidden. Outside, it didn't look that big, and some were skeptical about whether or not they would all be able to fit, but once they entered, all doubts were put to rest. The inside was huge; it could easily hold a small pack of boar gods. After the shock of the how spacious it was, they soon started to settle the wounded, started fires to cook supper and tended to the injured (the ones carried on the stretchers reopened their wounds). Kana made sure that the ones she and Yakuul had carried were taken care of before she went outside. Eboshi followed silently behind her.

"What are you going to do now?" Eboshi asked.

"I'll wait here for San and then it's up to her," Kana replied softly and, to herself she added, "San wouldn't forgive me if I left Ashitaka unguarded."

They just stayed there, staring itno the open space, each lost in their own thoughts thinking silently about the stranger who had entered their lives only a few months ago, and had became so important to them. Neither one could imagine what their lives had been like before Ashitaka had entered their lives, and neither one wanted to even contemplate what it would be like living without him. The swishing of the leaves in the bushes broke the silence. In a movement to fast for the eyes to see, Kana crouched in a pouncing stance. Each muscle in her body was tense, ready to attack if the need be. Eboshi, startled by the fast movement, took a little longer to respond, placing her hand on the hilt of her sword.

The riflemen had paused when they had heard a high pierced wild scream, and were even more shocked when they realized that the scream came from a girl/wolf and a giant white wolf. Their shock was complete when they saw that the twosome was attacking them with the intent to kill. The riflemen had no chance; they were rooted in place by the eyes of the small girl/wolf. They were, according to the riflemen, like that of the demons eyes that every child dreamed of when they had nightmares, but worse, much worse. The women and children ran behind them out of danger.

San could barely see through the red haze that covered her eyes. All she felt was the surge of hate surrounding her at the sight of the riflemen. The men that….No she wasn't going to think that, didn't want to think about it. She let out her frustration, anger, and sorrow on the riflemen. They both attacked the stunned group. Kitha fought to defend San and the mortals behind him despite what he thought of humans. _They are only cubs after all _he rationalized. San on the other hand fought, strong, wildly, desperately, trying to run away from the pain and despair of seeing Ashitaka lying on the ground with a pool of blood darkening his shirt. She didn't care who or what she fought as long as she couldn't feel the pain. Even after the riflemen, who weren't dead, had ran away she still didn't stop. She slashed the dead bodies, the trees, and anything else that happened into her way until she stopped from exhaustion. Kitha ran to her as soon as she fell down. He gently pried the spear out of her hands with his claws. One of the women who had helped fight off the riflemen helped Kitha put her on his back.

"There are some of us still back there," the women said quietly, unsure of what side they were on.

Kitha sighed. _This is going to be a long night_ he thought, "Show me where they are," he asked remembering why he was there.

After Kitha had gathered the townswomen and the children, he picked a few that he knew could fight, and told them to guard the rest until he returned. He ordered them not to leave that spot until he came back with the rest, using the same voice that his sister had used on Eboshi, only his wasn't as nice and honey-sweet as his sister's. Then, he went in search of the others, who had been left behind. He sighed, wondering why he never got stuck with the easy jobs. He ran with San on his back, he was too worried about her to leave her behind, through the forest. The trees were streaks of colors as they raced by. even though it was very late, the forest was alive. Creatures that hadn't stayed in their homes, curiously around the drive behind the wolf clan's defense of humans forcing them out, moved out of the charging wolf's path. Soon, he came to the spot where the very young children were hidden, guarded by the teenage girls who had basic fighting skills. It took awhile to calm the girls down, but once he succeeded he ran back to the others with them all on his back. It wasn't long before he found the clearing where he had left them. Once the townspeople had been reunited, Kitha arranged them in a group with the young and weak in the middle, the strong on the outside, placing Kitha in the lead and Toki, Eboshi's favorite, and the best of the women fighters in the rear. It took longer than he would have liked to lead them to the clearing. Once he realized where the others had gone he led them to the well hidden path. The trek took them faster than the other group, but it was still a long climb. By the time they had reached the top everyone was exhausted and Kitha let them take a break. He didn't know what to expect and didn't want them dead on their feet. Not to mention he was still worried about San. She hadn't moved or made a sound during the whole trip. He wouldn't have known she was there if he couldn't feel her on his back. They finally reached the place where the others had gone when Kitha ordered them to stop. Quickly he placed San on the ground, no expression or recognition on her face, and went out of the cover of the bushes into the clearing.

Before he could do anything his sister, without realizing who he was, pounced. Kitha, who didn't think his sister would attack him, wasn't ready and didn't have enough time to dodge. Kana pounced and knocked him down, managing to bite him on the shoulder. Kitha suppressed a cry.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Get off of me," Kitha growled not moving incase his sister would react and attack him again.

"What. Oh hi Kitha. Um, sorry." Kana said trying to suppress a giggle, but not succeeding.

"What's so funny? Will you get off me?" Kitha said getting up once he knew she wouldn't attack him.

Kitha went over and lay down by the entrance of the cave, his shoulder hidden from view.

"Go get them. They're waiting over there." Kitha said motioning to where he had left everyone.

Kana did as she was told realizing why her brother had gone over to hide his shoulder.

"Is the condition she in that bad?" Kana asked

A nod was his only reply.

Kana went to find San exactly as she had been when Kitha had put her down. Unmoving, not truly there.

"It's alright. Everyone else is in the cave. Follow me." Kana said putting San on her back with the help of one of the villagers.

They walked the short distance to the cave. Toki stopped to talk to Eboshi before heading in herself, worried about her husband and Ahsitaka. As soon as they stepped into the cave people ran around looking for their loved ones. Cries of joy and despair could be heard outside as people found out what happened to the ones they loved.

San slowly walked in. Kana had just told her that Ashitaka was alive, but she wasn't sure if she believed her. Yakuul moved to her side from somewhere by the wall. Slowly he led her to where Ashitaka was lying. As soon as she saw him she ran over, sat by him and started to cry. Someone put their arms around her, hugging her close, whispering soothing words, trying to comfort her.

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**What do you think? Worth the wait? Please review. I can't update without them. **


	5. Ashitaka safe?

**Hi everyone. I am really sorry for the wait. It is completely unforgiveable and if you want to stop reading my story you can I won't blame you. Anyway the long awaited chapter. And the next chapter I will try to get up either next week or the week after. I won't make you guys wait another year before the next one.**

Ashitaka could barely breathe past the pain. A fire spread through his whole body making him wish for unconsciousness. After awhile he became aware of someone crying. It sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it. The sound helped him clear his mind and focus on something other than the pain that consumed him. Once aware of his surroundings he saw that somehow he had been moved into a cave that he had never been to. He knew the battle ended because he could see the women and children moving around helping the wounded. Finally he looked up to where the crying came from and was surprised to find San kneeling by him and crying for him. Angry with himself for making her worry about him. Ignoring the pain moving brought him, he sat up and hugged San close to his chest and embraced her wishing there was more he could do. He rubbed her back in soothing circles while singing a lullaby, in his native tongue, that his mother had sung to him when he had fallen ill during his childhood. They stayed like that until San fell limp in his arms, asleep.

"Nice to see you up," replied Kana behind him making him jump.

"Oh, it's you. Why are you guys here?" Ashitaka said not sure if it was the sister or brother.

"San was worried about you. She wanted to see you and when Yakuul left you to come and get us…. Well you know what she'd think." Kana said looking at San in Ashitaka's arms

"Where's Kitha?" Ashitaka said realizing that the wolf was Kana; if Kitha had seen San in his arms he would have attacked him.

"He's outside keeping watch. You should get some rest. Don't worry San will be all right," Kana said after glancing at Ashitaka. He looked like he was about to pass out.

"I'm fine," Ashitaka lied. Now that he knew San was safe, the pain, from his side reawakened with a vengeance. Not prepared he dropped San, and groaning curled into a ball. A nearby doctor came and gave him some pain and sleeping herbs after checking his wounds. Kana picked up San and went over to the entrance.

"Have you heard anything yet?" Kana asked "Are you so sure they'll come again?"

"Yeah, they wanted something. They were too organized for a renegade band of riflemen." Kitha replied never taking his eyes off the woods.

"Do you have any idea what they wanted?"

"Probably the ore found here," Kitha said. When Kana shook her head he added in a growl "Do you have any better ideas?"

"No, but I can't shake the feeling that they were looking for someone."

"You mean Ashitaka?"

"Yeah, I mean we don't even know where he came from. For all we know he is a runaway convict or something."

"I know what you mean, but for some reason I can't help, but trust him. Look at Yakuul, he's not a dumb beast, I doubt he would trust his life with Ashitaka if he was dangerous. He probably just wanted to start a new life."

"I don't think he would intentionally hurt us, but what if the past he's trying to run away from catches up with him?-"

"Hello San. Sorry to wake you." Kitha said cutting off whatever Kana was going to say. The look in his eyes told Kana that he didn't want San to know their thoughts knowing that it would only trouble her mind more.

"Why are you guys still awake. You should sleep. I'll take watch for awhile… And I'm sorry about before, I shouldn't let a human get to me like that. I put you and everyone else in danger." San said hopping down from Kana's back, not looking into their eyes.

They knew no words would make her feel better and instead they lay down on each side of her and nuzzled her, showing her that they understood and forgave her. They lay down and pretended to fall asleep.

San breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that they wouldn't argue with her. She moved to the edge of the forest and looked into it. There was no moon out tonight and the stars were covered by the clouds. She let the sounds of the night creatures fill her mind as she tried to forget everything that had happened so far that night. But soon she found her thoughts wondering back to Ashitaka and Iron town.

_Why did the rifle men attack Iron town? They were too organized for a renegade band._ San thought to herself. She sat there in frustrated silence until she gave up and let her mind wonder to Ashitaka. She recalled everything that had happened when she saw Ashitaka sliced down in front of her. She knew the sword had been poisoned, she could smell it as he hugged her and she knew that Kitha and Kana had smelt it too. San knew all the different poisons that were found in the area and it puzzled her when she couldn't figure out what the poison was. Fear gripped her heart as she realized that the poison probably came from far away, knowing that that would mean that the antidote would also not be found close by. Not knowing if the healers knew if he was poisoned she ran into the cave to tell them even though she knew they wouldn't trust her.

Kitha and Kana saw her rushing into the cave and they moved to follow her, but a rustle in the bushes stopped them. They looked to the forest waiting for whatever had moved to show itself. They tensed as they prepared to defend the cave's entrance. A few heart beats passed and a family of bunnies hopped out of the bushes. Kana let out the breathe she had been holding as Kitha growled at the family, scaring them away. _This is ridiculous. If we stay this paranoid next time we'll be trying to save the humans from a swarm of flies._ Kitha thought as he turned around and followed his sister into the cave. He froze barely inside the cave when he saw what was going on. It seemed all the healers had converged around a spot a little way away from everyone else with San in the middle of the mob. Kitha was about to push past everyone to get to San, but Kana blocked his path, gaving him a look that said to wait and see if any action from them was needed. Growling softly in the back of his throat he nodded his head telling her he understood and would wait before turning his attention to the commotion.

"...that wouldn't work," a healer told San angrily.

"What else can we do? We can't just stay back and watch him die," San said clenching her teeth.

"You think we would repay his kindness by letting him die? What about you? Why don't you go and get the sword that poisoned him so we can figure out what he was poisoned with?" Another healer asked San.

San just stared at them trying to figure out a way to get them to agree with her. Only now realizing how many people had congregated around her. She stifled a gasp as she involuntarily took a step back from the enormous group of people.

She heard as Kitha in a barely contained growl say that finding the sword was impossible, but she wasn't really paying attention because Yakuul had caught her attention and she was trying to figure out what he was telling her. Silently she slipped past the mob of healers and went over to him.

"Alright Yakuul, what did you have to tell me?" San asked staring into his eyes. She was so absorbed in what Yakuul was telling her that she jumped a foot in the air when she turned around to find Kana behind her. Kitha was still arguing with the healers diverting their attention from her. Silently thanking her brother, she turned to her sister.

"So, what do we do now?" Kana asked.

"We have to wait until Ashitaka wakes. Yakuul said that the poison is a common one that Ashitaka's people use when defending their village. The only problem is that the antidote-,"

"Is found only in his homeland, right?" Kana said deciphering San's hesitant and frustrated mood.

San nodded mutely. Suddenly the cave became deadly silent as Eboshi entered the cave.

"I don't know what all the ruckus in here is about, but I do know that it is not good for the wounded. If you must talk, go outside and if it is so important that you absolutely must talk then I would like to know what it is." Eboshi said eyeing the crowd of healers near Kitha.

The chief healer walked up to her and in a low whisper told her that Ashitaka was poisoned by an unknown poison. When Eboshi heard the news her face paled and she had to lean on the wall to steady herself. She looked over at where Ashitaka lay and then back at the healer. She nodded and left. One by one a group of five healers went out behind her. Kitha looked to San and she nodded before going out behind him. Kana stayed behind to talk with the elk.

Outside things started to heat up. Nobody could agree on anything. San hadn't told them what she had found out because she didn't want to explain how she had found out. She was ready to kill them all though. The things they came up with were just going to kill him or make him even weaker. Before anyone one started fighting Eboshi silenced them.

"Nothing else can be done tonight. We will wait until tomorrow before deciding on a course of action. The poison won't kill him tonight so for now I suggest that everyone try to get a good night's sleep. If no one can come up with a decent idea of what to do in the morning then San will decide what we do with Ashitaka," Eboshi said heading into the cave and going over to her mat before lying down wearily and tried to sorted out everything that had happened that night.

San watch as the healers fallowed Eboshi into the cave. When she was all alone with Kitha, she climbed on his back and he ran into the night. The feel of the icy wind blowing through her hair and the feel of Kitha running beneath her helped her clear her head and calm her down. When he stopped she jumped down and ran into the forest. Kitha knowing she wanted to be by herself waited for her to return. San was thankful to be alone. She let out all the pent up feelings of frustration, anxiety and confusion of the last few hours loose. Tears blinded her and she couldn't figure out where she was or where she was going, but she didn't stop. She kept tripping over tree roots and stones. Finally she fell and stayed down on the ground until there were no more tears left. The sun was coming up before she headed back to Kitha. She felt numb and she knew she looked terrible, but she couldn't bring herself to care. When she returned to the spot where she left Kitha, Kana was there waiting for her instead. Kana took one look at her face and brought her over to a river nearby to clean up and they went to the cave. The actions of the wolf clan must have scared off all the animals because the forest was eerily silent.

**So what did you think? Do you still like the story? I'm sorry if a few passages didn't make any sense. I couldn't wait for my sister to read over the chapter to make sure I didn't make any mistakes or rambled on without confusing people. I figured you all waited enough for this chapter. Sorry and please reply it is really hard to continue without knowing what you think.**


	6. The next day

**Hi everyone. It's been awhile since I have done anything with this story. I'm sorry for leaving you all like that. Something came up which ruined the story for me and I thought that ending it would never happen. Recently I have had a change of heart and am starting to work on it again. I don't expect anyone to believe it since I have taken so long to update. This is a little preview for what is going to happen. As always I love the responses to my work. They help me write and keep going when I don't think I can. Hope I can continue this till it is finished**

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Feeling somewhat better, San steered herself for the confrontation ahead. By nature San was a shy person, but it was magnified due to being raised by animals. It was much easier for her to cut down whatever obstacle was in the way instead of trying to reason it out and reach a compromise. This time she knew that the obstacle couldn't be cut down. She was going to have to try and make Eboshi realize that the only way to save Ashitaka would be giving Ashitaka over to her to travel back to his homeland. She knew there was nothing to fear of Ashitaka's village. They were nice people and understood the way of the forest. The only two things that she feared were: not making it to his village on time or Eboshi not trusting San with the Ashitaka's well being.

"I'm alright Kana, you don't have to walk so slow," San said knowing that the little courage she was able to muster wouldn't last that long.

"We're already here," Kana replied laughing to herself when she heard a gasp from San.

"Maybe we should go and check the surrounding area to see if anything's amiss?" San replied as all the arguments that she had ready in her head disappeared.

"Kitha's already doing that. You need to go make sure they don't try anything that'll make Ashitaka worse and you need to convince them that you are the only hope he has of surviving." Kana said as she sat down and let San slide off her back.

"What was that for?" San said brushing the dirt off her back.

"For being selfish and thinking only of yourself. Ashitaka's apart of the pack now and wolves do not leave one behind to fend for themselves, especially a child." Kana said nudging her little sister towards the cave entrance.

"You're right." San said and walked over on her own. "Where are you going?"

"To help Kitha," Kana replied

"What happened to not letting a child fend for his/herself?"

"You'll be with Ashitaka," Kana said and then disappeared.

"Having an unconscious Ashitaka is the same as being by myself," San grumbled as she slowly dragged her feet walking into the cave.

"There she is," someone called quieting the noisy chamber.

"What?" San asked blinded as she waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness.

"Lady Eboshi wants to see you," a forceful women said as she grabbed San's hand and pulled her deeper into the cave. Despite San's best efforts, the women kept her in her grasp until they reached Eboshi's side.

"Here she is, Lady Eboshi," the women said pushing San infront of her.

"Thank you Toki" Eboshi said "If you could follow me, San, there is something I want to talk to you about."

"Okay?" San replied not knowing what to think. She was surprised that Eboshi trusted her, considering for the majority of the time they had known each other they had been trying to kill each other. Eboshi led her down a small side passage and didn't stop until they were far enough away that no one could overhear them. She turned around and stared hard into the girl's face.

"I want you to kidnap Ashitaka." Eboshi said.

"What?" San shouted surprised to hear Eboshi say the thing that San had been wanting to do since she saw Ashitaka get wounded.

"I need you to make him disappear. No one can know where he is and he cannot stay here. You are the only one I trust to keep him safe." Eboshi said. San looked into the older woman's eyes and she knew that her concern was genuine. "I can't explain everything to you. There are too many ears and loose mouths. Just know that he will die if he doesn't leave here and soon."

San knew better than to think that this was a trap. The normally calm and composed Eboshi was shaken up and if San didn't know better she would say that Eboshi looked scared. Something was going on, but San now had a way to get Ashitaka the help he needed and time was not on his side. San could come back after he was safe and find out what was going on then.

"I'll-"

"I don't need to know when or how. This conversation never happened, even to Ashitaka." Eboshi said and then left.

San was still deep in thoughts a few hours later as she sat by Ashitaka's side. She wasn't afraid of getting caught. It would be easy to get him out of the cave unnoticed. She was worried about what Eboshi was hiding. There was something else threatening Ashitaka's life and she had no idea who or what it was.

"It's nice to see you to," Ashitaka said when she didn't respond to his hello.

"Wha?" San said visibly jumping out of her thoughts and into the present.

"Is everything alright?" he asked worried that there had been another attack or a child had gone missing or some other disaster had befallen the townspeople. He knew Yakuul was okay because he was standing next to San.

"Yeah, well sort of..." San said leaving the sentence hanging. She didn't want to tell him, but she didn't want him to not know what had happened to him. His elk nudged her and she realized that she was going to have to tell him. "You...um...you...were poisoned."

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**I know another cliffhanger, but I will not leave you guessing what will happen for long.**


	7. The journy begins

**No excuses for the amount of time this took to post. I did lose my password and couldn't get onto my account for awhile. I also lost internet access for awhile. And I was also working on a different story for awhile. Anyways at long last the seventh chapter is up. It's kinda short, but I figure this is better than nothing. **

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Ashitaka blinked not sure if he heard her right. "What did you say?"

"You were poisoned" San repeated wondering if any damage had been done to his head since he normally had extremely good hearing.

Ashitaka didn't like the look on San's face when she had told him. He wasn't sure if he really wanted to know anything else, but decided that the more information he had the better off he would be. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself for whatever card fate had dealt him this time.

"Do we know what kind of poison it was?"

"Yeah," San responded. She looked deflated and scared. Ashitaka wanted to chase away what was scaring her, but knew that this time it wasn't possible.

"What kind is it?" He asked when she didn't continue.

"Agrinon" She said in a quiet enough voice he had almost missed it.

"What?"

"Did you injure your head or ears or something?" She asked a little annoyed, but extremely worried.

"Not that I know of, it's just hard to believe that I'm hearing you correctly. Poison isn't an enemy that one can defeat by oneself. Also the plant that comes from this particular kind is only found in the region where I grew up. I'm just surprised." In a quieter voice he continued almost to himself "Not to mention, that even if I could go back there, there's no way to know if I would make it back in time."

San didn't say anything to him as she watched the argument raging inside of him. She had wanted to argue with him, but Eboshi's words echoed in her mind. No one could know where they were going. She decided that it would be easier to talk to him once they had started their journey. They were going to go to his village and get the antidote for him. Even if he had been banished, she would find some way to get him the help he needed. He hadn't given up on her and had saved her life in more ways than one. She wasn't going to repay him by letting him die. From what Yakuul had told her, she figured he had three weeks to get the antidote in him. After that nothing would be able to save him. She hoped that with Yakuul's help they would be able to get him there in time. Not only did they have a time constraint, but she also had to keep him safe from the other threat. This enemy had no known name and no known purpose. She could only guess that whoever it was, wanted him dead or weak enough to capture.

"Do you want anything to drink or eat?" She asked realizing that he probably hadn't eaten all day.

"What?...Food and water would be nice. Thank you." Ashitaka responded startled from his musings.

"I'll be right back" San said getting up in search of food and water.

Yakuul took San's place lying down next to Ashitaka.

"Yakuul, we can't go back there. To them I am already dead. It doesn't matter that I will die by the poison instead of the curse. Going back there will do more harm than good. I know all of this, but I still felt happy thinking I had a reason to go back and I could see everyone, especially Kaya. She would have had her becoming a woman ceremony by now. I am selfish for thinking these things. It would destroy what I was raised to protect. Under no circumstances can we go back." He said. It sounded like he was trying to convince himself. Yakuul stared back at him blankly and a feeling of dread and longing filled him. Ashitaka shook the feeling away and looked around till he spotted San. She was on her way over carrying a tray with food and water for the both of them.

"Other than the poison, how bad is the sword wound?" Ashitaka asked taking the plate San offered him.

"You lost a lot of blood, but none of your vital organs were hit. A week or two of rest and you should be as good as new. At least that's what the healers are saying" San replied digging in to the food she brought for herself.

"San, could you do me a favor?" Ashitaka asked still just looking at his food.

"Sure, what is it?" She asked, curious. Ashitaka never asked for anything. She didn't think she had to worry about what the request would be.

"Could you take me away from here, to some place that's secluded where no one would disturb me?"

"What?! You want me to take you away from the people who are taking care of you? You think I would bring you somewhere to lie down and die without trying to save you? What do you think of me?" San said jumping up and looking down at him. He had been looking down at his food, but at her outburst looked up and saw the hurt his words had caused.

"San-" Ashitaka started to say

"I don't want to hear it. You sit here and welcome your death. I'm not going to sit around and wait for death to take someone else from me." San said before she could stop herself. She covered her mouth and ran out of the cave. One of the wolves got up from the cave entrance and followed her into the forest. The other one came into the cave to hear from Ashitaka what had happened.

Kitha had come into the cave ready to figuratively bite Ahsitaka's head off. Instead he found the human boy in a state much like the one Morro had when she had been waiting for the bullet's poison to kill her. It was a sight he realized he had never wanted to see again on someone close to his pack. All of his initial fury forgotten, he sat down.

"Why is it that no one fights to save themselves when it comes to a disease, but when it's a physical enemy they fight until they've exceeded their body's physical limits?"

"Probably because an enemy one sees shows weakness more than an enemy one cannot." Ashitaka responded not expecting to have this kind of conversation with Kitha especially after having chased San away.

"I'm not letting you die so easily human. Even if you are not a part of our clan, San has claimed you as hers. I will not let her get hurt like she did when our mother died again." Kitha said lying down "Climb on my back if you can. I want to show you something."

A little surprised and extremely curious, Ashitaka hoisted himself onto Kitha's back. The wolf gave a nod to Yakuul and then he left the cave running into the forest.

Yakuul went to the back of the cave picked up a package and left through the back of the cave by a route that no one would be able to follow. He had a good idea of where the wolf was going to bring Ashitaka. He decided caution was more important than speed. He had felt the sense of secrecy in the air and knew that something was up. He didn't understand all of it exactly, but he knew that it had to do with keeping Ashitaka safe. He made sure to stay hidden and kept to terrain that wouldn't leave any footprints. The sun was low in the sky by the time he made it to the meeting place, but he wasn't worried. He had faith in these strange new companions. He knew they could face the obstacles that lay ahead.

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**That's the end of this chapter. I tried not to leave it on a bad cliffhanger this time.**


	8. A surprise

**I decided to put up another chapter before another year had passed. Any of you who have continued to read the story, I am really sorry. I also commend your patience with me. Not sure how good this chapter turned out. Hope you all enjoy it. **

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San and Ashitaka were sitting on opposite sides of the clearing. The wolves were sitting on the edge in between them. Kana had a mixture of amusement, worry and frustration on her face. Kitha looked like he wanted to kill something. Since that was his normal expression, no one paid much attention to it. Yakuul walked over to the wolves first to greet them before going over to Ashitaka. He bumped him with his head to get his attention.

"Where have you been?" Ashitaka asked and then glared at his long time comrade when he saw the packs Yakuul carried. A weird barking noise was coming from Kana and Ashitaka assumed that she was laughing. "We can't go to the village. If I could, I would have gone back long before now."

"Is that the only thing keeping you here?" San spoke, her voice ice-cold.

"No, there are many other reasons I stayed and that's not the point. I am not returning to the village." Ashitaka shouted which startled everyone, including Yakuul. Ashitaka never raised his voice unless he was trying to get people to hear him.

"Why not? Aren't you the one that told me not to throw my life away? Why is it ok for you to do the same?"

"This is a completely different situation"

San and Ashitaka continued to shout back and forth at each other. Yakuul had retreated to where the wolves were sitting. The animals' heads moved back and forth watching the two humans. Yakuul was really worried about Ashitaka. He never held onto his anger, instead he would think about the situation calmly and try to find a peaceful solution. Eventually the two wolves grew bored with the fight. They stood up and walked in between the two humans.

"That's enough," Kitha growled. Both humans jumped. It was clear they had forgotten they weren't alone.

"This is not getting us anywhere. The sun has almost set. The someone has to start the fire and ready the camp. We also need to prepare something to eat. You're also making yourselves easy targets. We all need to eat and get some sleep. In the morning we can decide what to do." Kana said in the wake of their silence.

"I'll go hunt for the helpless human," San responded jumping onto Kitha's back.

"That's if you didn't scare all the game away," Kitha grumbled as they left the clearing. He knew that the fight had scared off all the big game.

"Why don't you set up the campsite and I'll get some firewood." Kana said walking over to Yakuul and taking the packs from him. She left them by Ashitaka before leaving the clearing.

Ashitaka was exhausted despite not doing anything all day. Yakuul came over and nudged him on the shoulder. Ashitaka absentmindedly petted Yakuul's head. After a bit he stood up and got the camp ready. He had a place for the campfire ready and the sleeping mats were laid out by the time Kana returned with pieces of wood. He took the wood from her and started the fire. With everything done, he leaned back against a tree and promptly fell asleep.

San didn't think about anything other than the movements of the wolf beneath her and the sounds of the forest around her. The night air was pleasant. Kitha's paws didn't make a noise as he ran through the woods. His pace never slowed as he weaved between the trees. Suddenly he stopped and San slid down off his back. A young buck stood downwind from them. His fur was a beautiful red, in fact the color reminded San of Yakuul's coat. For being all by himself he was really relaxed, almost like he was waiting for something. It was the perfect opportunity, taking a deep breath to make sure no other predator was around, she ran forward. Her feet barely touched the ground as she moved from one tree to the next. As she got closer, she raised her spear in preparation for the killing strike. She jumped on his back and was lowering her spear when it got knocked out of her hands. Startled she looked around. At the same time, what she now saw was an elk, bucked her off. She landed on the hard ground. The elk ran off as Kitha ran toward her. A rain of pebbles bounced off his coat, more to try to scare him then to hurt him. Still, he didn't appreciate the disrespect and howled his displeasure.

"Kitha, relax. Who's ever out there, show yourself." San said projecting her voice so anyone within the vicinity could hear her. The pebbles had stopped at the howl. Kitha helped San stand, then took on a protective stance. San wiped off the dirt from her fall and picked up her spear. "We're not going to hurt you."

"Speak for yourself." Kitha growled.

"Not now Kitha. Those pebbles were thrown to protect me from you."

"L-" Kitha started to say, but movement from the brush on his right quieted him. A young girl peeked out from the bushes.

"You can come out," San said and the girl jumped out a dagger in her hands.

"Why'd you try to kill Zeikul?" the girl asked.

"We're hungry and he was the first thing we've come across all night." San answered honestly.

"That doesn't give you any right to eat someone's pet." The girl replied.

"We didn't know he was with anyone." San said. Now that she had affirmed she wasn't a threat she looked over the girl. She was young. San would have thought her still a child if she hadn't been alone. Her clothes had tares and she was filthy. The reason they hadn't smelled any humans around was because she smelled like the forest. She looked half-starved. There was something familiar about the girl, but San couldn't pin her down.

"Oh, is the wolf your friend?" The girl asked. Throughout the entire conversation the girl's eyes hadn't left Kitha.

"Yes, he's my brother." San said scratching Kitha's shoulder.

"You're a wolf?" the girl exclaimed.

"What of it?" San said defensive.

"You look human," the girl replied surprised by San's tone. There was an awkward silence as San tried to figure out what to do with the girl. She could just leave her, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to do it. Sighing loudly, San jumped onto Kitha's back and reached out her hand to the girl. She looked at it confused.

"I can bring you to my camp where you can rest and get food." San explained.

"I can't stop. I've wasted too much time already. I have to find my brother. " The girl said backing away from San.

"It's almost night fall and if you don't rest you'll be useless if something decides to attack you." San said impatiently. Restless, Kitha took matters into his own hands. He grabbed the back of the girl's shirt and deposited her on his back before she could respond.

"Call your elk," Kitha said. "I'm not going to eat him."

The girl sent out a piercing whistle and the elk appeared from behind a tree. He looked hesitant, but saw his friend with the two strangers and stepped closer hesitantly. He didn't trust them, but he couldn't leave her.

"Zeikul, follow the wolf. They're going to bring us somewhere to get food." The girl called to him. At the sound of the word food, he stopped being hesitant and obediently followed. Upon closer inspection, the elk looked just as exhausted and hungry as the girl. San wondered what had happened to them to get like this.

"Hold on tight or you'll fall off," San said as Kitha ran through the forest towards the clearing.

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**I wonder if anyone can guess who the new character is. I'm not giving out the answer though. You'll just have to wait till the next chapter to find out who she is.**


	9. Giving up?

**I am really sorry for how short this chapter ended up. I promise to have the next chapter up next week. Once finals are over I'll have more time to commit to writing and will be able to write more.**

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Ashitaka looked around the clearing trying to figure out what woke him from his sleep. Only Kana, Yakuul and he occupied the clearing. He could not detect any noise breaking the silence of the surrounding forest that had fallen since the wolves had entered the clearing. Niether Kana nor Yakuul looked anxious. He concluded that his uneasiness came from his dream. He could not remember the events of the dream, but he knew he had had one while he slept. He slowly stood up, bracing himself against the tree as a wave of dizziness hit him. _Great,_ He thought, _it's already begun. If this continues, I won't have any strength to fight San against going to the village. _

The elk and wolf watched as Ashitaka slowly made his way to the stream nearby. They could smell the poison coursing through his veins. According to Yakuul, nothing affected the rate the poison spread. Once it entered the blood it moved through the body numbing the senses and confusing the brain. When it hit the brain, the person would forget the date, their age, and their location among other things. Sometimes the person relived memories, believing they were happening now. This goes on until the brain stops functioning and all involuntary actions like the heart beating, stop. Other than procuring the antidote, there was nothing they could do to help Ashitaka.

At the stream, Ashitaka splashed water onto his face. He believed in fate and destiny, unfortunately he could not look into the future or read signs like the wise-woman in his village. As the future chieftain he spent his time learning how to protect the village and what it took to become a good leader. He wished he could seek the wise-woman's guidance now. The demon's curse marked the end of his life at the village. He spent his time traveling the country torn between hoping to lift the curse and preparing for his eventual death by it. When the forest spirit lifted the curse, he decided his future lied in helping the inhabitants of Iron Town live with the forest. He interpreted the poison as a sign that he fulfilled his purpose on earth. Instead of fighting against the inevitable, he preferred to accept it and prepare accordingly. He did not want San to hold onto false hope because that would make this entire ordeal even more painful for her. The death of Morro left a gaping hole in her heart. He worried his death would create an even bigger wound that would never heal. He wished he could come up with something to ease her suffering, but his mind transformed into a barren wasteland every time he thought about it.

He splashed more water onto his face in order to reign in his racing thoughts. San should have returned by now. He stood up slowly, mindful of his injury, and carefully walked back into the clearing. He added wood to the dying fire. The nights no longer held the warmth of summer as the winds brought the cold in preparation for winter. With the fire crackling contently, Restless, Ashitaka walked over to Yakuul.

"It looks like San hasn't come back yet. I have some time to take off some of the dirt in your fur," Ashitaka told him. The repetitive activity put him in a trance. The motion of the brush moving through the elk's fur occupied his thoughts and numbed him from the outside world. In fact he didn't notice San's and Kitha's arrival until something barreled into him, knocking him down.

"Wh-" Ashitaka tried to ask, looking down at a person he never thought he would see again. Protectiveness pushed back the pain of the fall. His little mischievous sister held onto him with a death grip, crying into his chest. The shock of her appearance left him immobilized, but her cries spurred him to wrap his arms protectively around her.

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**Please give any suggestions or advice you might have. **


End file.
